Across the Sea
by TheRev28
Summary: It's time for Commander Shepard to make the choice. With Thane gone, it's likely to be her last choice before joining him across the sea. With her ultimate mission accomplished, can Shepard survive in a world without Thane? Does she even want to?


**Across the Sea**

Shepard stands at the intersection of three paths. Three paths, three options. Only one choice. Clutching at the wound on her left side, still feeling blood ooze out, she makes her choice. Turning to the right, she draws her pistol and starts up the ramp leading to the power coupling. For three long years, this had been her objective. Through all the sacrifices, she endured, determined to reach this moment. Then she can finally find peace.

_Siha…_

For a moment, her steps falter, but then she can feel his presence beside her, keeping her steady and guiding her to her goal.

About ten feet from the tube, she raises her pistol, but her entire body is trembling so much that she doubts her ability to hit her target even from such close range. She tries anyway. The shot almost puts on the ground. She feels so weak, so tired, so ready to be _done_ with it all. And now she can't even shoot straight enough to reach her goal.

Shepard raises her pistol again, determined to finish this even if her body gives out. As she aims down the still trembling sights, a feeling envelops her like the kiss of an ocean breeze on a summer's day. Down her arm, the feeling of fingers interlacing with hers around the grip of the pistol. Her aim steadies, and she mouths a silent thank you.

This time, the shot hits its mark. And another. And a third. The fourth shatters the glass of the tube and causes an explosion, sending shards flying out and leaving more blood in their wake. She continues firing, continues advancing to the tube, each new shot creating another explosion deep inside the mechanism. Still she advances into the tube, closer and closer to the heart. Every explosion sends more pain throughout her body, but she still continues on. Only one thing will stop her, and that's exactly what she's counting on.

_I'm so close… Soon I'll be with you across the sea. _

One last shot. A final explosion sends her to the ground, and the pain is too much. Smaller explosions start all around her, but Shepard's grip on consciousness is fading away. At last, only the blackness remains.

_Here I come, Thane. I've missed you so much._

###############

The Normandy hadn't been able to outrun the sphere of energy emitted from the Crucible. Now EDI is gone. Everyone else survived, though, and the ship was operational again in no time. When they left the unnamed garden planet, no one even had to ask where they were going.

A day later, the crew of the Normandy—as well as every other abled body person in London—began combing the wreckage of the Citadel. While the official story was that they were searching for any and all survivors, everyone knew that they were looking for one specific individual. No one was prepared to stop until evidence was found one way or the other. She never gave up on the galaxy, and at that point, the galaxy wasn't prepared to give up on her, either.

The first day yielded nothing; only a few scattered survivors, but no signs of her. No one slept that night, choosing instead to search with the assistance of omni-lights and thermal vision. The Normandy crew was truly a sight to behold: always searching, never tiring, always managing to inspire the efforts of all those around them. All of them are completely convinced that she's alive out there, and that confidence inspires the other search crews.

Around mid-afternoon the next day, a breakthrough.

###############

Awareness slowly comes back to her. She's still surrounded by an almost unearthly silent darkness, but something about it seems…different. Why would she still be breathing if she's dead? Unless…

_No, no, no, no…it wasn't supposed to happen like this. Why can't I just die? Haven't I done enough?_

For the longest time, Shepard lies there in the darkness, trying to will her life to end. Yet of all the lives she's ever taken, she's incapable of taking the only one that she's ever _wanted_ to.

Time passes, as it tends to do, though she has no way of knowing exactly how long she's been trapped in the darkness. After some time, she realizes that many of her wounds are still open, and she can feel the trickles of blood all over her skin.

_Good, maybe I can bleed out. Or possibly die of dehydration. Either way, it's only a matter of time._

Slowly, Shepard feels what little strength she still had start to drain away. Her vision—now accustomed to the darkness enough to see vague shapes—begins to blur, and breathing becomes increasingly difficult. She's never lost serious amounts of blood or been severely dehydrated, but she can only assume that one, if not both, of them is slowly setting in.

_Just a little bit longer, Thane. I can still cross the sea._

Her grip on life is almost done. The only part of her still clinging to life is the most basic part of her instincts. The rest of her has accepted—no, _welcomed_—the prospect of death. They can finally be together again and spend the rest of eternity in each other's arms.

A blinding light penetrates the darkness. Everyone always talked about a light, so she starts towards it. Only then does she realize that she isn't moving at all, and faint noises are penetrating the endless silence.

"_My god, it's her! Everyone, come quickly! I've found her! She doesn't look too good, so get a medic!"_

"_Shepard. Shepard! Damn it, stay with us!"_

No…no, what's going on? She feels the constant pain start to die away, replaced with a strange cool sensation. Her animalistic instincts cling to the newfound prospect of life despite the best attempts of her mind to choose otherwise.

_What are they doing?! Thane! They're taking me away from you! I don't want to continue without you!_

And suddenly, there he is, pulling her out of the darkness himself. A rare smile sits peacefully on his face.

_I am always with you, siha. But your fight is not done. Go and finish it. And when you finally go to the sea, I will be waiting for you at the shore._

_Kalahira,_

_Mistress of the dusk and the dawn,_

_Light the beacon and upkeep the fire,_

_The flame high and bright,_

_And guide this traveler out of the roaring pit of despair._

_And if the traveler cannot walk,_

_Kalahira, Mistress of Grace,_

_Bestow a guardian, sentinel of your will_

_To carry the one now adrift,_

_So the lost may never be alone._

**A/N: One of these days, I'll come up with a _happy_ oneshot. But today is not that day. Still, I hope you enjoyed it. I can't take credit for the prayer at the end. That was used in chapter 27 of the fan-comic "Marauder Shields" by koobismo. It's really a fantastic story, so check it out if you haven't already.**

**Anywho, I promise the next update will be WttNF. So until then, ta ta!**


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